Captains Peter Adamson and James McIntyre, Lieutenants William McCraw, Humphrey Fox, and Robert Law (Adjutant), Ensigns Charles Cox, John Vandeleur, and Carique Lewin, six serjeants, three buglers, and one hundred rank and file, were wounded. Two officers, with several men, were taken prisoners.
In commemoration of the gallantry displayed in this prolonged action, the Seventy-first subsequently received the Royal authority to bear the words “Fuentes d’Onor” on the regimental colour and appointments.
Viscount Wellington particularly mentioned the name of Lieut.-Colonel the Honorable Henry Cadogan in his despatch, and being highly gratified with the conduct of the Seventy-first on this occasion, directed that a non-commissioned officer should be selected for a commission. According to his Lordship’s recommendation, Quartermaster-Serjeant William Gavin was shortly afterwards promoted to an ensigncy in the regiment.
The Seventy-first, upon the 14th, returned to their old quarters at Albergaria, and remained there until the 26th of May, when the brigade was ordered to the Alemtejo frontier, as a reinforcement to Marshal Sir William Beresford’s[27] army, at this time besieging Badajoz, and threatened by the advance of Marshal Soult from the south of Spain.
2d bat.
On the 15th of May 1811, the second battalion embarked at Leith for South Britain, arrived at Ramsgate on the 23d of that month, and remained stationed in England for nearly two years.
1st bat.
The first battalion, upon its route southward, crossed the Tagus on the 31st of May, and arrived near Albuhera on the 14th of June, having passed through Portalegre, Aronches, Campo Mayor, and Talavera Real.
The sanguinary battle of Albuhera, fought on the 16th of May, had obliged Marshal Soult to retire previously to the arrival of the reinforcement, which being considered no longer necessary, the battalion retired to Elvas, where it remained two days; the battalion again moved to Toro de Moro on the 19th of June, where it remained for a month. At this encampment a detachment of 350 men, with a proportion of officers, joined from the second battalion then stationed at Deal.
About this period the first battalion became a part of the army under Lieut.-General Rowland (afterwards Viscount) Hill. The junction of the armies of Marshals Marmont and Soult having obliged Viscount Wellington to raise the siege of Badajoz, which had been resumed after the battle of Albuhera, the battalion, in co-operation with his Lordship’s retrograde movement, retired to Borba on the 20th of July. Here it remained until the 1st of September, when it moved to Portalegre, and thence marched to Castello de Vido on the 4th of October.